This is the seventh article of an eight-part NFL preview series in which I analyze the eight most compelling teams to watch this season. Click on these links to read my previews for the following teams: Houston, Dallas, San Francisco, New Orleans, the LA Rams, and Oakland.
Next up: the defending champs.
The preseason is meaningless, right? Well, if you don’t subscribe to that theory, then last year’s Super Bowl champions might be in trouble.
That’s because the storylines out of Eagles camp have been nothing but pessimistic following a 1-3 exhibition campaign. Their defense wasn’t exactly dominant. Doug Pederson routinely expressed frustration in press conferences. And Nick Foles, last year’s postseason hero, hardly looked like a competent starting quarterback, as he failed to lead a single touchdown drive and accounted for three turnovers in his two preseason starts.
To make matters worse, Carson Wentz won’t be ready for Week 1. Foles will start in his place on opening night and it remains to be seen when exactly Wentz will make his return from knee surgery.
Some pundits say these developments don’t bode well for the Eagles heading into the new season, but I think that is short-sighted. What people seem to be forgetting is that football games are won in the trenches — and because Philadelphia still has an elite offensive and defensive line, the defending champions remain on the shortlist of Super Bowl contenders.
Recall who the real driving force was behind the Eagles’ Super Bowl victory over the Patriots last February. No, not Foles. Yes, he was terrific and deserved MVP for his three touchdown performance, but it was the Eagles’ offensive line that enabled Foles and the rest of the Eagles’ playmakers to be so effective. Anchored by All-Pro’s Lane Johnson and Jason Kelce, Philadelphia’s front kept Foles squeaky clean by not allowing a single sack. They also paved the way for the Eagles’ backfield to run for 164 yards on only 27 attempts (6.1 per carry). With future Hall of Fame left tackle Jason Peters returning from ACL surgery, Philadelphia’s line could be even more dominant in 2018.
The defensive line, meanwhile, is just as stout. Led by Pro Bowl defensive tackle Fletcher Cox, Philadelphia ranked as the league’s top run defense according to Football Outsiders last season. And with solid edge rushers such as Brandon Graham, who made the key strip-sack of Tom Brady, and the emerging Derek Barnett, the Eagles clearly won’t make life easy for opposing quarterbacks.
It would obviously help, though, if Wentz came back healthy. While Philadelphia has certainly proven it can win games with Foles under center, I’d set the odds of him miraculously guiding the Eagles to another championship at…well, zero.
Regardless, Philly’s ability to dominate in the trenches means that a dramatic letdown won’t happen after the franchise’s first Super Bowl title. And if Wentz returns to his MVP form, it would hardly be surprising to see Doug Pederson’s squad replicate last season’s success.
